---------------------------------------------------------- AeroElectric-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Tue 01/03/12: 10 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 02:53 AM - Re: Re: Capacitive Fuel Level Sensor - How do they work? (Richard Girard) 2. 06:36 AM - Re: Composite aircraft grounding systems. (Steve Stearns) 3. 06:36 AM - Re: Wiring Harness (Glen Matejcek) 4. 07:45 AM - Re: Re: Wiring Harness (Ron Raby) 5. 08:43 AM - Re: Composite aircraft grounding systems. (Eric M. Jones) 6. 09:36 AM - Re: Re: Wiring Harness (RGent1224@aol.com) 7. 12:05 PM - Re: Wiring Harness (ROGER & JEAN CURTIS) 8. 08:09 PM - Re: Re: Wiring Harness (Robert L. Nuckolls, III) 9. 08:32 PM - Diodes on soleniods (mark donahue) 10. 10:19 PM - Re: Headset microphone level reducer (Etienne Phillips) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 02:53:37 AM PST US Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Re: Capacitive Fuel Level Sensor - How do they work? From: Richard Girard I've been using a Westach cap sender in a plastic fuel tank for the last 6 years. http://www.westach.com/ It has low and high pots on the top of the sender and, once set, seems to work consistently from fill to fill. I changed out tanks during an extended annual three years ago (old ones were yellowed and had bottom taps that I didn't trust) and I had to shorten the probe a tad, but well within Westach's specs. Adjusted the pots for the new length and flew on. Because of the height of the body of the sender unit they aren't easily utilized in a wing tank, but for a fuselage or header tank where you have ~1" of space above the tank top they would be fine. Sorry I have no info on how well they would deal with another vendor's gauge, but a sample of their instruction sheet is here. http://www.westach.com/instructions/395-240OHM-P1.jpg Rick Girard On Mon, Jan 2, 2012 at 5:14 PM, Bob McCallum wrote: > ** ** ** > > *The Centroid Products site works perfectly for me by following the link > provided by John.* > > * * > > *Here is the link he provided again in case this works better for someone > than the original.* > > * * > > *http://www.centroidproducts.com/tableofc.htm* > > * * > > *and** here is their home page if this helps.* > > * * > > *http://www.centroidproducts.com* > > * * > > *Good luck* > > *Bob McC* > > * * > ------------------------------ > > *From:* owner-aeroelectric-list-server@matronics.com [mailto: > owner-aeroelectric-list-server@matronics.com] *On Behalf Of * > RGent1224@aol.com > *Sent:* Monday, January 02, 2012 2:14 PM > *To:* **aeroelectric-list@matronics.com** > *Subject:* Re: AeroElectric-List: Re: Capacitive Fuel Level Sensor - How > do they work?**** > > ** ** > > You're not along**** > > Dick**** > > **** > > In a message dated 1/2/2012 12:53:43 P.M. Central Standard Time, > ainut@knology.net writes:**** > > > Wow. That site refuses to allow me a connection, even to their home page. > > David M. > > > jonlaury wrote: > > --> AeroElectric-List message posted by: "jonlaury"< > jonlaury@impulse.net> > > > > The electronics have been explained by Joe and Sarg, and Sarg elaborated > on his experience with **Princeton** probes. > > > > But the reason for installing cap probes has gone unanswered. > > Cap probes allow for fuel measurement of irregularly shaped tanks. My > fuel bays in the wing change in taper, both in depth and width, in addition > to the whole tank sitting at an angle (dihedral), making any kind of > accurate measurement impossible over the tank range when using a linear > type (float) sensor. > > I have installed 8' Centroid probes. Haven't fueled them yet. > > They come with two small potentiometers built in to adjust the empty and > full points. Available in 0-5v output and various resistance output so you > can use them with your existing gauge. > > > > http://www.centroidproducts.com/tableofc.htm > > > > Not a recommendation, just a resource, as I have no real world > experience with this product, . YMMV. > > > > John > > > > > > > > > > Read this topic online here: > > > > http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=362237#362237 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > Tell the truth. Be honest. Be responsible to and for yourself. > > I liked ****America**** when it was free and it's people were responsible > and had morals. > > Every gram of cocaine you buy from elsewhere contributes to an innocent > being murdered in Central and **South America**. Grow your own or Stop > taking = Use ilities ay - MATRONICS WEB FORUMS - > List Contribution Web Site p; > > ** > ****** > > * * > > * * > > * - The AeroElectric-List Email Forum -* > > ** > > ** > > *--> http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?AeroElectric-List* > > ** > > * - MATRONICS WEB FORUMS -* > > * - List Contribution Web Site -* > > * -Matt Dralle, List Admin.* > > ** > > * * > > * > > * > > -- Zulu Delta Mk IIIC Thanks, Homer GBYM It isn't necessary to have relatives in Kansas City in order to be unhappy. - Groucho Marx ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 06:36:15 AM PST US From: Steve Stearns Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Composite aircraft grounding systems. Mike and the group: Regarding the the placement of the starter solenoid there is, as usual, more than one way to skin this cat. There are some trade-offs. Bob's recommendation to put the solenoid back by the starter and use the one big feed line for both the starter supply and Alternator B lead, which I think is a good one for many people, eliminates an otherwise needed additional wire (#8 in my case) for the alternator B lead running from the alternator back to the bus and thus saves it's weight. My LongEz was flying when purchased but I immediately grounded it and spent ~4 years reworking it before putting it back in the air again. It's been flying it since August '11. When I totally replaced the electrical system in the my LongEz, I read the book, considered all the options, posted lots of question on the forum and I ended up with the planned location for the starter solenoid up front. Here's why: My goal, in recognition that I was new to experimentals in general and LongEzs in particular, was to stick pretty close to the plans and owners manual authored by Burt unless they had been superseded by CPs, or a perceived (and well reasoned) consensus on the yahoo group canardaviators. With that in mind, I wanted all my initial flight testing without a starter (even though it had one when I bought it) to keep the CG as far forward as I could and keep it as light as possible. I haven't yet installed the heavy feed or return cables back to the firewall that will be required if I later reinstall the starter. I did, keeping a future installation in mind, reserve space up front for the starter solenoid and I kept the #8 firewall return (i.e. ground) wire separate from the laced bundle going back to the firewall so that it would be easy to replace it with welding wire (or CCA) later if required. The two biggest reasons I went this route is that, when I am running without the starter as I am now, I'm not carrying around the heavier wire and it allowed me to protect the #8 B-wire with an ANL up near the master relay and battery so that I didn't have an unprotected high-current feed running from the master relay (or buss) all the way back to the firewall. As I understand it (and Bob is the authority here, not me) there is nothing wrong with having the unprotected feed from the buss going all the way back to the firewall but I was more comfortable not doing so. Another benefit was that I could keep all this stuff together up in the nose (which is also where I moved the regulator) rather than back on the firewall (which is already crowded enough on a LongEz, esp. if you have electronic ignition as I do). If and when I do re-install the starter, the downside for going the route that I did is that I'll be carrying around a single extra #8 wire running from back to front. That wasn't a problem for me given that I'll also be adding two long lines of welding wire and a starter at that time as well... A purest might reconfigure at that time to the configuration Bob recommended to save the weight of the #8 wire. I won't. btw: I recommend both the canardaviators forum and Central States Association. There is a lot of good information out there on LongEzs beyond the plans and CPs but it takes some digging to get to it. In completing your LongEz be sure to be more concerned about "completion drag" than "aerodynamic drag". Anything you do that hasn't already been done before, and been well documented in the process, will cost you more time (i.e. be a drag on getting your bird flying) than you imagine... Steve Stearns Boulder/Longmont, Colorado CSA,EAA,IAC,AOPA,PE,ARRL,BARC (but ignorant none-the-less) Restoring (since 1/07) and flying again (8/11!): N45FC O235 Longeze Cothern/Friling CF1 (~1000 Hrs) Flying (since 9/86): N43732 A65 Taylorcraft BC12D ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 06:36:15 AM PST US From: Glen Matejcek Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Wiring Harness Radio Shack sels (or usedc to, anyway...) temporary velcro wire bundle tie straps. Very, very convenient and reuseable. Glen Matejcek ________________________________ Message 4 _____________________________________ Time: 07:45:09 AM PST US From: "Ron Raby" Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Re: Wiring Harness How about building the harness on a template. That way it can be built outside the aircraft tested and inspected before instalation. Regards Ron Raby Lancair ES ----- Original Message ----- From: "Glen Matejcek" Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 9:33 AM Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Wiring Harness > > > Radio Shack sels (or usedc to, anyway...) temporary velcro wire bundle tie > straps. Very, very convenient and reuseable. > > Glen Matejcek > > > ________________________________ Message 5 _____________________________________ Time: 08:43:35 AM PST US Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Composite aircraft grounding systems. From: "Eric M. Jones" I sell lots of Copper-Clad Aluminum cable to 300 mph fuel dragster and racecar builders, weird groups doing strange things where the weight is important. I even sell the stuff to the companies building remote-controlled drones. Predator drones and the more advance secret stuff... Airbus and Boeing use similar CCA configurations. I sell Super-2-CCA, Super-4-CCA, AWG-6-CCA (same dimensions as AWG-6 but CCA with Tefzel insulation), and Super-CCA RG+142 See my website. CCA is 60% the weight of copper for the same conductivity. If you have the battery on the firewall, you are okay. Otherwise, use CCA. Also see Bob's most excellent article, http://www.aeroelectric.com/articles/economics_of_weight_reduction.html and on my website: http://www.periheliondesign.com/fatwires_files/Coppercables.pdf -------- Eric M. Jones www.PerihelionDesign.com 113 Brentwood Drive Southbridge, MA 01550 (508) 764-2072 emjones@charter.net Read this topic online here: http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p=362332#362332 ________________________________ Message 6 _____________________________________ Time: 09:36:07 AM PST US From: RGent1224@aol.com Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Re: Wiring Harness Home Depot and Lowes have them Dick In a message dated 1/3/2012 8:37:11 A.M. Central Standard Time, aerobubba@earthlink.net writes: temporary velcro wire bundle tie straps ________________________________ Message 7 _____________________________________ Time: 12:05:25 PM PST US From: "ROGER & JEAN CURTIS" Subject: AeroElectric-List: Re: Wiring Harness In a message dated 1/3/2012 8:37:11 A.M. Central Standard Time, aerobubba@earthlink.net writes: temporary velcro wire bundle tie straps I have found that the hook and loop straps used by many supermarkets to wrap leaf lettuce and other produce are great for temporary bundle ties, and they are cheap. =98=BA Roger ________________________________ Message 8 _____________________________________ Time: 08:09:20 PM PST US From: "Robert L. Nuckolls, III" Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Re: Wiring Harness At 09:37 AM 1/3/2012, you wrote: > >How about building the harness on a template. That way it can be >built outside the aircraft tested and inspected before instalation. That IS how the 'big' guys do it. But they often build the proof of concept harness in the airplane, take it out and build a form-board to match it. Even with full 3-D CAD systems, it's difficult to build a first-article that really fits the airplane the way the craftsmen would like it. Bob . . . ________________________________ Message 9 _____________________________________ Time: 08:32:59 PM PST US From: "mark donahue" Subject: AeroElectric-List: Diodes on soleniods I am building an RV 9, and wiring per Van's wiring diagram. The diagram does not show diodes on the starter or master relay, but the accessories catalog lists "protection" Diodes to be installed to protect the master and starter switches for surge protection. Sounds like this is a good thing to install. Any thoughts? Thanks, Mark Donahue ________________________________ Message 10 ____________________________________ Time: 10:19:32 PM PST US Subject: Re: AeroElectric-List: Headset microphone level reducer From: Etienne Phillips Thanks Bob! That's exactly the kind of circuit I was looking for. I'll get back to you on it's effectiveness. The new child headset is supposedly an aviation one, and the destination is an aviation MGL radio, so one would have hoped that there wouldn't be such a large discrepancy in levels! Thanks again Etienne ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message aeroelectric-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/AeroElectric-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/aeroelectric-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/aeroelectric-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.